Advocacy Visits to Paramount Rulers of of Ikot Ekpene and Itu Local Government Areas.

The Women in Peacebuilding Program, WIPNET, of the West Africa Network for Peacebuilding, WANEP was established in the year 2003 with the broad goal to elevate women from their state of obscurity to the fore to enable them play key roles alongside men in building peace. This was based on the realization that ‘gender and peacebuilding’ did not adequately respond to the existing gap between men and women and that men and women cannot attain equal opportunities espoused in the gender equality definition if women are absent from the scene altogether.

In line with WIPNET’s goal of building women’s capacity to play active and visible roles in peace-building in Nigeria, the current project “Sustaining Women Social Networking for Effective Participation in Peace Processes in the Niger Delta Region of Nigeria” is geared towards training and mobilizing platform for women groups and relevant agencies for policy engagement and sustainable peacebuilding interventions; conflict prevention and peace advocacy in the states of the Niger Delta. It is a three year project that spans 2011-2013. Two communities were selected in each of the Niger Delta States with the Training of women Leaders otherwise referred as TOT and with the mandate to replicate these trainings to twenty five women in each community for replications and mentoring.

As a sequel to the replication trainings carried out in Ikot Ekpene and Itu Local Government Areas, the women leaders carried out advocacy visits to the paramount rulers of these Local Government Areas in order to facilitate women’s participation in peace processes and leadership at the community levels. The group met with His Royal Majesty (HRM) Augustine E.J. Assiak and His Royal Majesty (HRM) Edidem Edet Akpan Inyang and their council of chiefs to introduce WANEP/WIPNET to them in the communities and Akwa Ibom State at large.

The team leader of the group, Mrs Regina Fabaian, briefed the council members on the Vision, Mission and Objectives of WANEP, she also presented some WANEP/WIPNET Publications to the council members. They in turn expressed their joy at the women’s willingness to work with traditional institutions in fostering peace and development in the community.

The Iban Emem group which also comprised of Mrs Helen Amos, Evang Stella Umo, Mrs Rosemary Akpabio and the WIPNET Focal Person for the South South Zone Ms. Ann Uduka visited Ibiono Ibom NCWS to celebrate the 2012 International Women’s Day.

As measures of strengthening the association, members of Iban Emem (Women of Peace) in Akwa Ibom State have agreed to have a uniform, open a bank account and register as a cooperative society. The group is also planning for a peace march in a selected community on the International Peace Day slated for September 21, 2012.